Can I go straight from the Saucony Guide 16 to the Guide 18 and skip the Guide 17?

Yes, but going Guide 16 to Guide 18 means taking one change in a single step: the Guide 17 is where the ride moved. The drop also goes 8 mm to 6 mm across the jump, so give it a week of easy running.

How much did the weight change across these two updates?

It nets out. The Guide 16 and the Guide 18 both weigh about 9.5 oz in a men's US 9, though the Guide 17 sat at 9.4 oz in between.

Is the Guide 17 the better buy than either of these?

On paper it splits them: 9.4 oz against 9.5 oz for the Guide 16 and 9.6 oz for the Guide 18, on a 35 mm heel and a $140 list price. Whether that is worth chasing depends on what the Guide 17 update actually did, which the section above works through.

Did the Guide get taller between the Guide 16 and the Guide 18?

Heel stack went 35 mm to 35 mm, by way of 35 mm on the Guide 17. Drop moved 8 mm to 6 mm, which is the change your calves and Achilles notice.

Where does the Guide 18 sit in the Guide lineup now?

Two versions on from the Guide 16, and already replaced itself: the Guide 19 arrived in 2026. If you are shopping old stock anyway, price the Guide 18 against it before deciding.

Saucony Guide 16 vs Guide 18

Two versions apart. Updated October 14, 2026. Specs are men's US 9.

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THE SHORT ANSWER

Two updates and 2 years separate the Saucony Guide 16 from the Guide 18. Net change: a drop change from 8 mm to 6 mm, a new midsole. The Guide 17 is where the character changed, and that is the update Guide 16 owners notice first.

Saucony Guide 16Sizes running outMen's at Amazon Women's
Saucony Guide 18Men's at Amazon Women's

Availability last checked Oct 14, 2026. Prices and stock change without notice.

Guide 16 · 2023

Guide 18 · 2025

The two updates in between

Each step has its own page with the full change list and the verdict on that update.

Step 1Guide 16 to Guide 172024A different shoe
Guide 16 vs 17 What replaced the Saucony Guide 16?
Step 2Guide 17 to Guide 182025Refined, same shoe
Guide 17 vs 18 What replaced the Saucony Guide 17?

Guide 16 vs Guide 18: every spec, side by side

The net of both updates. Per-update change notes stay on the step pages above, because they explain changes measured from a different starting point than this table uses.

Spec	Guide 16	Guide 18
FIT AND WEIGHT
Weight	9.5 oz	9.6 oz
Widths	D, 2E	D, 2E
Upper	Reworked FORMFIT engineered mesh with a padded heel counter	Updated engineered mesh with a reshaped heel collar
CUSHIONING GEOMETRY
Heel stack	35 mm	35 mm
Forefoot stack	27 mm	29 mm
Drop	8 mm	6 mm
MATERIALS
Midsole	PWRRUN foam with Hollow-Tech medial support and a PWRRUN+ sockliner	PWRRUN foam with CenterPath geometry and a PWRRUN+ sockliner
VALUE
List price at launch	$140	$140

Or buy the Guide 17 instead?

The Guide 17 is worth a look only if you want the ride it introduced, because that is the update that changed the shoe. Buying it to soften the jump does not work: you would be adapting to the same change either way, just at an older spec.

Buy the Guide 17

Sizes running out

Discontinued at retail. Amazon carries what remains, so treat an in-stock size as a closing window, and expect prices to swing.

Men's: Check remaining stock Women's: Check remaining stock

Availability last checked Oct 14, 2026.

Questions runners ask

Can I go straight from the Saucony Guide 16 to the Guide 18 and skip the Guide 17?: Yes, but going Guide 16 to Guide 18 means taking one change in a single step: the Guide 17 is where the ride moved. The drop also goes 8 mm to 6 mm across the jump, so give it a week of easy running.
How much did the weight change across these two updates?: It nets out. The Guide 16 and the Guide 18 both weigh about 9.5 oz in a men's US 9, though the Guide 17 sat at 9.4 oz in between.
Is the Guide 17 the better buy than either of these?: On paper it splits them: 9.4 oz against 9.5 oz for the Guide 16 and 9.6 oz for the Guide 18, on a 35 mm heel and a $140 list price. Whether that is worth chasing depends on what the Guide 17 update actually did, which the section above works through.
Did the Guide get taller between the Guide 16 and the Guide 18?: Heel stack went 35 mm to 35 mm, by way of 35 mm on the Guide 17. Drop moved 8 mm to 6 mm, which is the change your calves and Achilles notice.
Where does the Guide 18 sit in the Guide lineup now?: Two versions on from the Guide 16, and already replaced itself: the Guide 19 arrived in 2026. If you are shopping old stock anyway, price the Guide 18 against it before deciding.